


a chord we knew existed

by stationlittle



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7684204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stationlittle/pseuds/stationlittle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James and Khalisah have a discussion at Purgatory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a chord we knew existed

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Mass Effect Friendship Week. Title taken from the poem "To a Friend" by Amy Lowell. 
> 
> Mentions violence against Khalisah but no violence occurs in the fic.

"You know there is a game out there that people can download, and the goal is to hit you 100 times during an interview before the clock runs out?"

Khalisah nodded, appearing unfazed, but James knew better. Ever since they had started to spend time together, he had come to pay more attention to the expressions on her face.  
He was always trying to figure out when she was sad, when she was happy. Right now she definitely didn't look happy.

"Only two people managed to do it," she said while taking another sip of her whiskey. "Apparently it's not an easy game."

James shook his head.

"I hate this."

"Oh, come on now! You thought I was a bitch before meeting me!"

He sighed. Couldn't lie, because he did think it. It was just a thing, right? He tried to explain it to her, but he wasn't sure if she got this. It was about loyalty, about protecting your fellow men. You do it in the battlefield, you do it outside of the battlefield. That was it. So yeah, when he saw her at the Arena, he wanted to have a serious talk with her and ask her why. Why was she doing all of those interviews? Why was she going after Alliance soldiers? What was she trying to achieve?

Now, watching her carefully put her empty glass in front of her, he knew.

"I still think you're a bitch," he said.

She turned around and smiled. He knew she liked that sort of dark humor, but he pressed on, more serious. "Still doesn't make it okay."

She shrugged. "You know what they say about being hated. Better to be hated for who you are than what you're not. Besides, half of the people playing this game are jokers in the Arena who can't reach my score. They're jealous. It's pathetic."

James couldn't help but snort at this, because he had met a few of them. Hell, he was shocked himself when he realized she had a higher score than him. That quickly changed, but still. Surprising.

"How long are you staying this time?" she asked as she waved at Purgatory's bartender.

"We're leaving in two days."

She nodded, but it seemed like she was thinking hard about something. He watched her, wary. She threw a quick glance at him.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant Vega. I'm not going to ask you to spill the Alliance's secrets."

"Says you."

They stared at each other. He felt the absurdity of the conversation, and grinned. She grinned back. The bartender appeared in front of them, and Khalisah ordered a second round.

"But if you're wondering...I can tell you we're doing everything we can," he said.

He wasn't lying. They were. But Khalisah didn't look convinced, so he added, "Hey, you do what you want with that, but I promise you we're hard at work."

"Are you asking me to trust you, Vega?"

"Why not?"

She considered the question.

"Fine. I believe you."

"You do?"

She shrugged. "Haven't lied to me until now. So yeah, I believe you're all trying."

He took a sip of his drink, relieved. He was going to ask her when they were meeting at the Arena the next day, when she said, "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" he asked, surprised.

She laughed. "Trying to reassure me. Like..."

She stopped laughing, looked serious all of a sudden. "Like you're trying to tell me we'll survive this. Like this isn't already the most devastating war, and the Council-"

"Khalisah." His voice was firm, his stare unflinching. "It's going to be okay. That's all I wanted to tell you."

She stared at her drink, looking like she was going to cry. He froze, having no idea what to do.

"Sometimes trying isn't enough, you know?" she said, in a small voice.

There. This was why she was going after Alliance soldiers and Shepard himself. She was scared to death. He knew this, but it was always a surprise when she let herself be that vulnerable in front of him. He moved, and put his hand next to hers. Not touching (he knew she wouldn't like it, and would probably hurt him for it), but close. As if to say _I'm right here_.

"Sometimes it leads to victory."

"And peace?"

"And peace."

A minute passed. Two minutes. Finally, he heard her take a deep breath. The moment was gone. She felt better, he knew.

"So," he said, "when are we going to kick ass at the Arena?"


End file.
